Surfing Lesson Round 2

Megan's 1st tip in surfing- when the wave takes you under don't fight it. The ocean will always win.
Tip number 2- when you see a wave you want to catch turn away and paddle like hell.
Tip number 3- make sure you are not too far forward on your board or else you will end up head over board and in a lot of pain.
That's right folks. Even after last weeks slice to the foot and racing stripe across my leg I decided to try my hand at surfing again. My goal is just to be able to stand at least once before I leave the island. Last week I rode a few on my stomach. This week I did the same. Then on one of the waves I forgot tip number 3 and it was not pretty. I went under and the board went over and the fin went in. Yup...Ouch! I found myself a bit timid after that and rightfully so but my determination and bull headedness won over and I was back on the board ready to take another wave or be taken. So I toughed it out and on my first wave back I bravely got up on my knees. On my second I was up in a lunge-like position, one knee down one knee up. I decided I would quit while I was ahead. After all, this is an improvement from last week. If all goes well I will be on my feet next week. I will be sure to keep you posted but until then I leave you with this...
MY BATTLE WOUNDS

Roasting Know How

I was sitting on the lanai this afternoon sorting coffee beans when Bob came out and asked if anyone would like to roast with him. Not wanting to alienate myself from my fellow interns anymore than I already have I supressed my teachers pet of an arm from instinctively shooting into the air. When it was apparent that no one else was going to volunteer I decided I could nonchalantly offer myself for the task. The only problem being the awkward length of time that had passed between Bob's request and my response. Roasting got off to a rocky start when I poured the beans a bit too slowly and with the help of the blower they decided to jump out. Ten pounds of coffee in the roaster minus a few fugitives and we were underway. Bob says, "I'll be right back," and I calmy continued roasting trusting that I would not be responsible for the process through the climax and finish. As the temperature rose and I heard the sound of the first crack and there was still no sign of Bob I began to panic. I have never roasted using a fluid bed roaster before and I definitely didn't want to be the intern that burnt the beans, or broke the machine. I reached deep into my memory bank and tried to remember the temperature that a full city roast should be ready and I went for it. Thanks to my common sense I figured it was probably a good idea to turn the blower off before dumping the coffee into the cooling bin. The coffee looked great in color and the machine wasn't broken so I figured why not try again and roast the rest. I finished another 10 pounds successfully and Bob still hadn't returned. I guess that's one way to train someone. It reminds me of when my folks told me if I wanted to leave the house I had to take the Honda. The Honda was a stick and I quickly learned to drive it. Trial by fire has proven to be effective for me.

You know you're a surfer when...

That's right folks. Yesterday I had my first surfing lesson from Chris Quinn. He's a haole (white man) who has lived here his whole life. His father was the first govenor of Hawaii and he is wonderfully quirky. He took me out for my first lesson yesterday and it was a blast. I can't stand yet but I got up on my knees once and I became really good at catching the surf and riding it in while laying on my stomach. I came out fairly unharmed, escaping with just some bruises from where the board met with my bones, a pretty serious cut on my foot from the coral, and as you saw a rockin stripe across my leg from the leash. I will hopefully be up on my feet next time and will remember to put sunscreen on my legs.

Happy Earth Day

"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect."
~Chief Seattle, 1855

Preserving our planet needs to take front stage in the way we live on a daily basis. For example, global warming is an increasing concern that could exponentially worsen if we continue to ignore the harmful effects of fossil fuels. Although our trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and this helps to slow down global warming, by ignoring recycling campaigns and choosing to cut down trees for paper production, we contribute directly to climate change. Irresponsible deforestation is contributing greatly to deaths resulting from floods and landslides. In 2004, as many as 1700 Haitians died as a direct result of illegal logging and deforestation. Cars and other vehicles are the primary culprits behind smog. According to the web site of the Environmental Protection Agency, one in three people is at risk of experiencing respiratory ailments due to smog.

Should we choose to ignore preservation and conservation, our planet’s resources will suffer from mismanagement. The consequences are critical:
-Pollution (air, land and water) from smog, acid rain, animal wastes seeping into our drinking water
-Disease and pandemics such as SARS, bird flu, asthma and other respiratory diseases
-Food shortage impacted by breakage in the food chain
-Poverty - a larger rift will emerge dividing the rich and powerful from the working class
-Homelessness becomes a natural consequence of poverty
-Extinction will accelerate ending forms of life on our planet
Such consequences affect our daily lives in terms of transportation, heating, housing concerns, etc. To minimize their effects an important first step is to become an advocate for the issues that are important to your community.

It is easy to keep up-to-date with the issues that affect our environment. The web provides a wealth of information ranging from the laws before Congress to practical information for home owners and businesses. It also provides many forums where you can not only share information but meet people and be part of organizations that help you to become an advocate for the environmental issues that are important to you. I would encourage everyone to use this day as a starting point for change in your own life. Whether it's by going down to Sawyer Point to meet up with some of the things going on in our city, riding your bike today, researching recycling in your neighborhood, taking your own bag to the grocery store, your own mug to your favorite coffee shop, or just educating yourself on the issues we currently face. It is our responsibility to be good stewards of the land we have inherited. Not everything we do needs to be on a grand scale but the old saying is true, "every little bit helps."
Happy Earth Day from Hawaii!

Pruning

Alright so I think you are all ready for another lesson. Today we will be learning about pruning. Pruning is one of the most important cultural practices in the coffee orchard. The main objectives of pruning are to control the biennial bearing through the control of flowering and fruit setting, to regulate the age of the bearing portion of the tree, and to maintain the productivity of the tree. There are two systems of pruning currently practiced in Hawaii. They are the "Kona method" and Beaumont-Fukunaga (BF) method. We'll get into that in a bit.
The degree of pruning is determined by the amount of rainfall as well as the previous years crop yield and current crop load. This year we have suffered from low rainfall which has resulted in a light growth of the bearing wood so the pruning and fertilizing should be light which will result in this years crop being light.
On Dragon's Lair the farm is split into an upper field and a lower field. On the upper field we prune according to Kona style and on the lower field we use the BF method.
The Kona style:
Kona style pruning is a multiple age vertical system. This system accomplishes the main objectives of pruning as well as admitting light to various parts of the tree, encouraging the type of growth and fruiting that will provide the easiest hand harvest with the least reduction of yield, and encouraging the production of uniform high grade cherry. The negatives to this style are that annual hand pruning is required and a good understanding of the system is essential in knowing which verticals to remove. No vertical stays on our trees longer than 4 years. So each year the oldest/tallest vertical is cut to encourage new growth.
The Beaumont-Fukanaga method:
John Beaumont and Edward Fukanaga developed this system at the Kona Research Station in the 1940's and 50's. Instead of renewing one vertical in each successive year as in the Kona style, all the verticals on the tree are renewed in the same year, every 3-5 years. In other words the tree is stumped. The advantages to this style of pruning are simplicity of pruning (the rows containing the trees with the oldest verticals are stumped each year), and ease of harvest (fewer rows are harvested, trees are shorter, and fruit is on primary laterals.
Now are you ready for your quiz?

Leave your birkenstocks and patchouli at the door

I am going to deviate from the course of coffee farming for a moment to report on a conversation I was in today. Now those of you who know me are aware that I have never had an opinion in my life and am not passionate about a thing. So I know that you will be shocked to learn that I would have engaged in a discussion that would make coffee sorting really interesting. I was happily sorting those beloved beans of mine enjoying another beautiful day in Kona when talk turned to the local food movement and progressed from there to small business vs. huge-mart. Approaching the topic with great care I stated that Walmart gives us too many reasons to choose not to shop there and being that we are all intelligent people I don't think I need to list those. But what about the big businesses that don't lay their indiscresions out on the table for us to view? Given that what drives most American's to shop where they shop is the distance their dollar will go, choosing to not shop at one of those places must employ some sort of belief. I personally choose to buy local when possible because I believe that it benefits a healthy landscape, culture, and heritage; not to mention, promotes a strong local community. My co-sorter's rebuttle was, "I don't care. When Walmart offers my favorite cereal $2 cheaper than anywhere else, I'll be there. And you can take your hippie nonsense and shove it." Now I should clarify this was not said with as much malice and aggression as it sounds but there was definitely some attitude. I'm not one to let things sit so I responded with a restrained, "I would have found that a lot less offensive if you hadn't referred to it as nonsense." I thought this was pretty good for me considering what I wanted to do was jump out of my chair, beans flying everywhere, and maul her. So here's what I'm having a hard time with now. Since when did giving a shit become hippie nonsense? And why is hippie used as a negative term? I would think, being that we live in a time where the general attitude is apathy and ignorance, that we would be thrilled to have a conversation that challenges what we think and believe. Do we really need those labels?
Do I own birkenstocks? Yes
Do I wear patchouli? Occasionally but I mix it with sandalwood and orange
Am I a hippie? Whatever

If your interested in knowing more about those companies whose indiscretions are not in plain sight check out responsible shopper at www.coopamerica.org
Great site that offers lots of information about different businesses...good and bad
Oh and for any of you that still get your coffee at that one coffee shop that's on every corner type their name in and see what comes up.

Shears, and Machetes, and Weed Whackers...Oh My!

As some of you know I was becoming a bit bored with the sorting of the coffee beans which has been my primary task this last week. Hungry to dig my hands in the earth, the word came today that I would be weeding. You can only imagine how excited I was at the prospect of working in the field, sweating under the Kona sun. So why is it that the boys always get to use the fun tools? Joe being the chosen one here at the farm saddled up and strapped on the weed whacker. To be honest I am a bit afraid of weed whackers anyway. See my last experience with one was in grade school when my best friend, Jaime Rimer, decided to shave her leg with one. My reluctancy to see that all over again made it pretty easy for me to step aside and let Joe have all the fun. I instead, grabbed my handy pruning shears and set out for the field. I took to weeding aroud the coffee trees and unraveling any vines that had decided to try and choke the trees. I also had to cut down any Ti plants that I came across. For this task I got to use a machete, granted a much smaller version than the one Joe uses, but still a machete. I found that I was so afraid of hurting myself that the pruning shears worked much better. It was a great day despite my forgetting sunscreen until after lunch and my many falls onto the treacherous lava. Luckily only a rooster saw me. I quickly realized it helps to carry a stick to break the thousands of spider webs you walk into, it's near impossible to dig your hands into the earth when that earth is lava, and I now know just how big 5 acres is. We were rained out and as the earth is replenished here I can't help but think about how I have been restored as well. It's amazing what using sharp intruments will do for your soul.

Hitching

My first weekend on the island and I decided I would go to the beach. One thing about Hawaii is that transportation proves to be a bit tough. Biking is kind of out of the question because the roads are highways and people drive fast and recklessly. Not to mention the bike on the farm needs new brakes and I'm not sure I want to be the one to test it before a tune up...at least not my first week here. So my choices were to hitch or walk. I walked. On my 4 mile walk I listened to the island. A wonderful thing about this place is that the sounds of Hawaii are as captivating as the sights. As I walked I heard the chirp of so many birds; cardinals, doves, saffron finches, as well as the whisper of the trees, and the faint call of the ocean. There is always this music underlying life here, this constant noise. And so what I began to notice was the silence, how the absence of sound was so loud. I arrived at my destination and was happy to relax on the sand...oh wait there is no sand, I meant relax on the lava. Which in case you were wondering, does not invoke feelings of relaxation in the way of comfort. But it was nice to be amidst the energy of the ocean. I set out on my journey home and immediatley noticed my feet beckoning me to stop. Chaco's by the way, not a shoe for walking long distances. I continued even as my toes cursed me and now I ask you, in such a situation what would you do? You're 4 miles away from home and not only do the cuts the lava gave you hurt but you have new blisters to go along. Would you swallow the pain and forge ahead? Or would you cast your fears aside and possibly your mind, stick out your thumb, and give your best smile hoping some nice soul will pick you up? I walked. I am a city girl folks and we do not trust random people driving beater pickup trucks who can think of nothing better than picking up a haole in a skirt. Just as I began contemplating laying down next to the rodeo grounds on this road to nowhere I heard a car and I turned to face it. Okay step one of hitching is face the car, step two stick out your thumb but I couldn't and so I turned back around and kept walking. The mongoose that had just darted across the road now stood, faced me, and seemed to be mocking me. So I turned again and the car must have noticed my odd behavior because it had slowed down. All I could think was please let them have all their teeth. The car approached and a nice woman with all visible teeth still present asked if I needed a ride. She seemed nice and so I accepted and got in the car next to another WWOOFer she had picked up on the way. We talked about our travels so far and what we thought of farm life. When I saw my farm wizz past us in the car I found myself wishing there was more time to chat but I kindly asked the woman to pull over and got out of the car. As I walked away I thought, hitching isn't so bad...if you remember where your farm is and don't have to backtrack down the road on your blistered feet to get there.

Coffee Philosophy

As I was sorting the coffee beans again today I began to think about the rejected beans and what I could learn from them. I felt sorry for these beans who had been grown for a purpose, living under intense sunlight, with the fear that at any moment they or their friends might be lopped off, then picked, and pulped. Just when they think they may drown they are laid out to dry and then raked. You can almost here their shrieking. Only to be put through a milling machine which essentially tears a layer of their skin off, to then be put on a shaking table and you can only imagine the nausea. Then some person goes through them and decides if all that was worth something. Are they a good bean or a bad bean? This got me thinking about life and being grown for something in particular. What happens when you don't fulfill that purpose? Are you then nothing but waste. Thankfully I have more control than a bean within a cherry on a tree and I am able to shape myself and the things I do in order to be useful in a grander scheme.
Basically what Im saying is coffee sorting gives you too much time to think.
The other interns are now calling me Madame Megan, reader of coffee beans.

No Rest for the Weary or Jet-Lagged

Well I arrived in one piece a bit delirious but in one piece none the less. After 25 hours of being awake they let me sleep only to be put to work first thing Tuesday morning. Luckily it wasn't an incredibly labor intensive day, to be honest it was quite boring.
Here is an abbreviated version of what processing coffee is all about. After the coffee cherries are harvested they are pulped (separating the seed from the bean), you are then left with parchment (dried seeds covered with a stiff white skin), then the parchment is milled (removal of parchment skin and thin silverskin below), sized (using a table to separate beans into waste, peaberry, and normal sized green beans), and sorted.
Dragon's Lair not only grows coffee but we process and roast as well as provide that service for other small scale farmers here on the island. Yesterday I was put on sorting duty. Large scale operations sometimes have what is called a gravity table that will sort the beans for you. We do not so sorting is done by hand. We take large buckets of the green coffee after it has been milled and sort by hand the beans that may have defects. We looked for any beans that were split, or not whole, or black (called raisin), or a bean inside another bean (called motherbean). It was incredibly time consuming and a bit mind numbing and by the end of a 7 hour day we only had one and a half, five gallon buckets to show for it.

Now after our days work was complete we headed out to 2 step which boasts the best snorkeling on the island. What I haven't mentioned to you yet is how unbelievably beautiful it is here. It is like the whole world is grey in comparison to the vibrant color here. Almost as though I am seeing color for the first time. Once I overcame my apprehension to enter an underwater universe I was amazed. There was a lot of traffic down there. So many fish I couldn't possibly name and the reef like a village of strange shapes and colors. A sea turtle floated right to me and for a second I thought it might shake my hand. I decided I was finished however, when a man swam by me with a speared fish. A little to close carrying a sharp object for my taste. I figured it was best to get out before I was next.

I then returned to the farm to witness my first Hawaiian sunset. From the lanai (porch) I could see the ocean and the sun setting, as well as, papaya, hibiscus, banana, mangoe, coffee, pomegranate, orange, lemon, mac nuts, some flowering hallucinogenic, avocado, plumeria, and lots of chickens.
I could get used to this!